3happygirls

A sad goodbye?

2007-05-24T09:56:00.000-04:00

Not really. I may be closing down this blog to start a new one and see if I can get it to work right. It's just no fun without the comments, pointless almost. :) (or maybe this is just too important right now). So, I'll probably take a break from blogging for a while until I figure it out and start a new page. Summer is buzzing with busyness already and I should probably spend less time fretting about my blog settings!! HOWEVER - I know I'll have tons of fun pictures to post and some great kid quotes. Ohhh! Wait. Before I go - - I have one from yesterday. Well, to start, the other day we went to the Pet Store. As one of the other mom's enjoying the pet store said, "It's like the zoo only way easier!". :) True. And, you can get an errand done while there. Anyway, we got to see the lady cleaning the hamster cages and she was showing the girls lots of things. But, we saw these black crabs (there were lots of them in the cage). Mara thought they looked like big spiders and she was shaking with the "willies". Grossed out! So, last night we go out to eat. David took Adde to the bathroom and quickly came back, saying she wouldn't go in there. She doesn't like the boy's bathroom anymore, "It's Gross!" David had this look of "ha, ha. Now you have full-time bathroom duty". Bummer. So I took both Mara & Adde into the women's restroom and Mara was just too curious about why Adde didn't want to go with daddy. She kept asking to go see it (like a horror movie!). I said, no, of course. So coming out of the bathroom and, now into the restaurant....Mara says to Adde, "Adde, why didn't you want to go to the boy's one with Daddy? Are there CRABS in there?"!!! *sigh* What do people think I'm teaching my kids, or worse yet...well, never mind. I won't speculate what other people are thinking about us and our crabs. Signing off for now. I'll keep you informed when I start a new page.

Comments? Comments anyone?

2007-05-24T09:48:00.000-04:00

Seriously...I've been spending WAY too much time on this. I'm trying to enable the comment feature so that I can know who in the world is reading this blog and what in the world you think about it. This is a test. This is only a test.

Trying something else...

2007-05-24T08:54:00.000-04:00

Can you hear me now?

Mother's Day

2007-05-16T14:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Have I mentioned that I love how EASY our two families make getting together? I love it that when there is an occasion to celebrate that we can all do it together and actually ENJOY it. I don't think this is a luxury other families have, either due to location or conflict. This year Erin hosted Mother's Day at her home along with her in-laws as well. We had a beautiful day and a beautiful yard to do it in (petting zoo included, thanks to Jeff). Wish I had pics of Jeff's amazingly aesthetic chicken coop that not only provides the Moore's with their own organic eggs, but adds a pleasing element to their yard as well! There were even pretty black and white chickens (sorry, Jeff, I don't know what kind they are) roaming the yard while we hung out, dusting themselves in the mulch. It was only slightly funny when I kept warning the girls to not chase the chickens, that they were scaring them and soon one "flapped" Mara. She was so offended. No pics of that, but I don't think she'll forget. She still is so sad that one of Uncle Jeff's chickens "flapped" her and not Adde. (If you haven't noticed, I'm done doing the whole incognito thing about the kid's names....too much work.) As a mom, I can say that it was a wonderfully productive and relaxing weekend. I only asked for David to take a day off from working on the basement so that we could have time together as a family and get some things done in the yard. BOY DID WE! That felt so good. I'll have to post pics of that soon. Sunday, we went to church and had leftover pizza for lunch. :) David rested and the girls and I potted some flowers for the back porch. I loved my Mother's Day. I'd much rather have simple than fancy. My neighbor (who has no children) asked why we weren't out doing brunch. While I'm sure there are some YUMMY places to get brunch on Mother's Day....WHY IN THE WORLD would I want to take three kids (one of them needing a nap) to an insanely crowded restaurant to wait for possibly an hour or more when we could come home, have leftovers and RELAX?!?!? :)

Around 3:30, we picked up sandwiches at a local deli and headed to Erin's. Erin had some yummy root beer floats, and we ate outside. I loved the simplicity of it all.

I know that some people hold the belief that many American holidays were created by Hallmark for marketing and sales! I'm not saying they don't make some serious jack on these days, but I appreciate the built-in day off in the calendar. It just doesn't happen often enough that I sit and look at my mom, my mother-in-law and my sisters and recognize the investment and sacrifice given every day; to reflect upon the legacy given to my girls because these wonderful women are in our lives. For me to spend the afternoon planting with my children is very specifically an "ode to my mom" who shared with me the love of gardening and beautifying the world around me. To practice patience with my SPIRITED little one, a nod to my infinitely patient and gracious mother-in-law. To be blessed by the simple hospitality of my sister, who TOO was to be taking the day off was a gift to be recognized. To listen to and learn from my older sister, who is much further down the path of motherhood than I, full of valuable lessons in mothering.

With Grammy & Papa Morrow

With Grammy & Papa Tudor

Thanks, Erin for hosting such a day!!

Tagged....

2007-05-12T10:13:00.000-04:00

I've been "tagged" by Erin Bloom for this little blog game, so here goes. I have to think of 7 random facts about myself. You can bail out now, if you're not interested. :) Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog! Oh man...I don't know if I know 7 people with a blog, (see I'm a serial blog-stalker) I'll try. Okay, you lost your chance. Here goes: 1) I'm a serial blog-stalker (reading people's blogs I don't know, not in a sick way, in a genuinely interested in their lifestyle way, in hopes of learning something...mostly from MDC). 2) I like to journal (they're hidden, don't go looking for them). It's something I started doing when I first fell in love with Christ and was learning so much and couldn't contain it. It's something I've gotten away from since kids, but have picked it back up. I didn't realize how much I've missed it. 3) I have the ability to remember most people's/business phone numbers if I've dialed them once. However, I have been known to attach the wrong name to the wrong phone number on occasion, so if I've called you and don't have much to say, I'm playing off that I actually called the wrong person. :) 4) I LOVE, love, love the smell of: paper, books, pencils and ink. I got in trouble in first grade for licking books!!!! :) LOL! 5) I don't like being touched "half-way"...a phrase David helped me articulate, because before I would just freak out for no apparent reason. So, think about it..."half-way", light touches on your skin, someone sitting too close, but far enough away to barely be touching you....ICK!!! Makes sense, right? 6) I like to read cookbooks, but lately rarely ever make anything out of them. 7) I'm an NPR listening, Charlie Rose, Globetrekker and Antique Roadshow, Conan, Letterman addict/listener/watcher and anything else political, what other people call "boring", or goof-ball, late-night hilarity. I guess I'm getting old...lately I can't kick the Charlie Rose thing to switch to Conan. Oh yeah, and I'm a NIGHT-OWL to boot, which is sometimes not good for my morning parenting or coffee habit. So...7 people to tag - I'll tag people that don't have a blog, too. You can put it in an email. Susan Medina Barb Bryson Tanya Reader Sarah Kier Sylwinn Tudor Jeanne Tudor Dawn Morrow

Old School Sesame Street

2007-05-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

Don't ya' miss it sometimes? Not usually, actually, but last night Mara was up from 2 AM to 5 AM with a tummy ache, Rose was up at 6, so by 7 AM I was ready for a nap. Sesame Street was pretty handy this morning, but instead of my nap I was watching, hoping to see some "comfort TV"...you know, like comfort food. :) Here are a couple vintage clips for your soul, if you should so need them today. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG-0_p_yefg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8vUTm64h0

Things I Remember.....

2007-04-20T15:31:00.000-04:00

I admittedly stole this idea from another blogger, and I know Erin can put me to SHAME with this, but here goes my attempt at recovering some early memories: - Squeeling down the hill in Plattsmouth on my BigWheel, of course! (Red, blue and yellow BigWheel). What a sweet ride! - Dad putting in a brick patio in Plattsmouth. - Shawna teaching me to ride that aqua blue bike, down same said hill as above. Somehow I let her convince me that since I couldn't reach the pedals, it was a good idea to sit on the back fender. She'd give me a little push down the hill and everything would be okay. Hello, telephone pole! - Our cat Sunshine and our dog Benji (hit by a truck, morbid I know). - Sitting in the papasan chair, watching my parents watch Hee-Haw. - Trying to sneak out of my bed at night to go over to Shawna's bed for a chat and hearing, "Heather Dawn! Get back in bed!" from downstairs. (She was always asleep anyway, Mom) - Dad's old truck and "the Opal" (a car). - Sneaking a peek at my surprise birthday cake COOKIE MONSTER! (I think for my 5th birthday, and then crying that I'd ruined my surprise). - Speaking of sneaking peaks, I SAW YOU, Aunt Kim and Uncle Randy kissing when you were babysitting us!!! - Grandpa Morrow coming to town and walking us up to get a frozen chocolate banana. - I remember Erin's first summer. Sitting on the porch with her before she could walk, laying underneath the swing in the backyard and making her laugh. - That HUGE old red car we had...WHAT was THAT?!?!? :) - Shucking corn and snapping beans. - Metal roller skates and the nice, smooth driveway of the crabby old lady next to us being the perfect roller-skating surface! - Learning to read. - Blue flipflops with the toes painted on them in nice, primary colors. - Desperately wanting a Stretch Armstrong or Incredible Hulk for Christmas and never getting it! ;) Your turn! Go ahead, send me your lists...I know you've already made one in your head. BTW - I have checked and rechecked my settings and according to that, you should be able to publish comments, but you can't for some unknown reason. If you have any hints...help me out....otherwise, I'll just keep assuming no one is reading this and keep blogging boring random thoughts from my childhood.

Rose WINS!

2007-04-18T20:16:00.000-04:00

Hopefully, you got from the title that this blog is mostly about our life with the girls. I only wish I'd started earlier writing these things down...I'm sure I've forgotten so much. So another little story for today. The girls got a little treat at the store today from the dollar section....the cheapest of cheap diamond rings. wink, wink Right up "M's" alley on the fancy, fancy scale. Think....5 carat diamond ring, set in pink plastic in a high round solitaire setting (oh yeah, and it blinks). They "needed" these for their new purses Grammy M got them, in addition to one lipgloss in the shape of a lollipop and one lipgloss in the shape of a flipflop. whatever. I'm lost in this world of girly-girldom, so I'm having fun while they show me the path to 4-year-old fashion and bling. I'm sure it sounds sometimes as if I dote endlessly on the older two and joke endlessly about LittleOne and her spunk. Well, maybe it's true. M and A have learned a lot about kindness in their 4 years as well as what's expected of them. So I'm happy to say that most of the time, they are extremely kind to Little "R" who happened to desperately want this pink diamond ring. "M" offered hers up, if only for a minute, which I thought was very generous considering she is the most fancy of my two fancy girls. "R" promptly took the pink rock and pounded it into M's forehead three times with a bit of force and a squeel!! I waited for a second, shocked. M almost fell over. Laughing. "R wins the hitting contest, Mommy!!" Giggling "She's GOOD at the game of hitting!!" :) I was reminiscing with M & A a little today, about when they were R's age (18 mos.). I remember fretting a little about fights between them. I can only hope that M & A continue to set this example of kindness to R. She is watching their every move, right down to which finger to put a ring on.

Grocery store escapades

2007-04-13T18:06:00.000-04:00

This will be a strange follow-up to my Easter post, but just so you know that we're not altogether sweet and the words of my children don't always bring spiritual renewal. We needed a quick trip to the grocery store this afternoon (I prefer to go in the morning when everyone is fresh and still somewhat mild mannered), but I went regardless of it being 3:30 pm, a short nap day for Dosie and the wild and silly late-afternoon mood of the girls. We always get a "car cart"....it's the only thing that will accomodate three kids, but the girls are almost too big for it and it makes them even crazier (yes, it's possible). So, they're doing the usual loud, happy, giggly things they always do that normally bring smiles and comments from others. Dosie is doing her normal, top-of-her-lungs greetings to people as we enter a new aisle. But, I'm hearing the girls say, "Oh, MY----what a BIG mustache you have!" giggle, giggle, giggle "Sissy, your mustache is tickling my nose!!!" Burst of laughter. I look up, and there's a somewhat serious look from a guy with a decent-sized mustache. I admonish the girls on quieting down when we go into the next aisle. Then I hear, "Aaaaa!!! WHOA!! I can't drive without my glasses!! I don't have my glasses on!" and "Oh no!! I can't see....where's my BIG glasses?" I look up to see an older woman, with, of course "decent-sized" glasses on, and hope that she doesn't assume they were drawing their story from her. *shrug* We'll be done soon. THEN - - - In the checkout line, while unloading the cart (large cart, mind you) and I'm trying to squeeze around to put something on the conveyor belt, "A" says laughing "Mommy....you rubbed my ear with your bottom!!!" Snickers I try to ignore. BURST of laughter. Then, "M" says even louder, "MOMMY!!! Your B-O-T-T-O-M rubbed on A's EAAAAARRRRRR!!!" Bahhaaahahhaaha!! They both bust out laughing while I lean down, red-faced but laughing myself at how hysterical they find it and say, "Shhh!" A says, "Well, mommy, you need to apologize". I quietly say, "I'm sorry". A says, "FOR?!?!!-------" (we're practicing sincere apologies at home). I ignore again. She continues, "Say. "A", I'm sorry I rubbed my bottom on your ear. That's private." I hear a snort of laughter from the young bagger guy and we leave.

HAPPY EASTER!!

2007-04-13T15:30:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry to say that I'm getting "memory card errors" on my camera, so I have to figure out some way to get my beautiful Easter pics off my camera (I'm thinking possibly a baseball bat might work at this point). :) Laughing, BTW, to all those people who know about my anger management, or lack thereof. I was able to load of few of them, so I'll post them. More pics later. The girls find a willing uncle to read to them.

"R" LOVES playing with Papa on the steps.

Although, I unfortunately wasn't able to attend our Good Friday service (Rose and I were sick)...we did happen to have a beautiful weekend. Good Friday is one of my favorite services so I was sad to miss it. I love the purity of it and lack of commercialism. How do you commercialize THAT?!?! I ask you? I guess the big marketing people haven't yet figured that out either, and I'm so glad that it remains a day of somber remembrance. A day of mourning the pain and agony our Saviour went through in order to give us victory. A day completely outside of anything we could imagine humanly possible. Great sacrifice for someone unborn. I'm humbled to contemplate it and cannot grasp why someone perfectly sinless would take on the payment of my sin. So ugly, so dark, so selfish, unmentionable things. And yet, it's simple...to give me life! So that I would know of his great love for me.

I woke up Sunday morning to the absolute sweetest sound I think possible. In my sleep, I kept hearing, "Happy Easter, mommy. Happy Easter, mommy. Mommy, Happy Easter". I literally woke up with tears in my eyes. I needed this like you wouldn't believe. Saturday, David worked on the installing the furnace all day, Papa came over to deliver our BEAUTIFUL new (old) refinished dining room table. We had a necessary and good visit, the girls and I rushed off to a meeting about a new start-up school in the city (Rose without a nap), and then we ran off to a friend's house for dinner (Rose without a nap). The day was busy, but fun and the meal was a wonderful time to catch up with a group of friends we haven't hung out with in a while. It was all good, but left me rushed to get all the "Easter things" done for the morning. So, I got it all done, but not without loosing my perspective, unfortunately. Somewhat crabby, and very much bossy putting the kids to bed so that I could get done what I "needed" to get done, knowing we'd be rushing off to the 9 AM service the next morning, I put the focus on myself. I wanted the morning to go smoothly, peacefully, after all! My focus was on filling plastic eggs with jelly beans, making sure there was an even amount of M&M's in each egg, opening the package of Princess candy necklaces to make sure they were "string-able" (?), ironing dresses, finding tights, dividing up Smarties, worrying if all the kids would feel happy and excited about their baskets and last but not least, drilling David about how the morning would go...when to hide the eggs and how difficult to hide the eggs. I knew I hadn't done a good job preparing my heart or preparing and quieting the girls' hearts (not to mention David's) for the meaning, beauty, grace and power of Easter Sunday. This little, sweet voice was a beautiful reminder of God's grace and forgiveness. I woke up broken and forgiven. What a wonderful way to start Easter. The day went on beautifully. We had a fun egg hunt (R's FIRST) and an easy lunch here at home, a nap for ALL my kids (a rare event), and some much needed time with my husband. Then off to Grammy T's for the afternoon. I hate to brag, but I have the EASIEST family and in-law situation EVER!!! My in-laws have graciously invited my family to share Easter Sunday every year. So the whole family is there together. MY sisters, nieces and nephew, parents, even friends, everyone! We go to ONE place!! My parents have graciously invited my in-laws over to share Thanksgiving every year. We go to ONE place. Christmas has two days that we split, and hoila!!! Easy-peasy! I continued to be broken and humbled on Sunday, for one reason or another, and God continually showed me gentleness. Another random and sweet encounter with my OTHER daughter. (who hadn't heard my morning wake-up greeting). I was sitting on the couch with my Dad and she walks up, completely random in the middle of her playing and sweetly said, "Happy Easter, Mommy". I can't explain the meaning of it all, but again, I'm broken and God shows His grace and love to me again.

Bob and Larry come to St. Louis!!

2007-03-27T16:15:00.000-04:00

Grammy and Papa Tudor told us about a great opportunity happening at a new bookstore by their house! "B" and "L" are going to make an appearance!! We wanted to keep it a secret to avoid crushed spirits if anything came up and we couldn't make it. So, all week we referred to going to "B" and "L". Bob and Larry are a very important part of our lives around the Tudor household. We've been listening to their music in the car for well over a year, and it's one of the many personas the girls have taken on themselves. Their Christmas ornaments this year were Bob and Larry, got stuffed Bob and Larry in their stockings, Larry-Boy mugs for Hot Chocolate, not to mention the innumerable Bob and Larry CDs and movies they own!! SO----this was like me getting backstage passes for the Newsboys in 1992! A BIG DEAL!! Ha, ha, Sus, if you're reading. So, we managed to keep it a secret and despite a snowy, icy day we made it and so did "B" and "L". Both sets of grandparents, Auntie Shawna and cousins all came out to witness the girls meeting their Veggie Tale celebrities. Even Jadyn and her friend wanted their picture taken with the stars. I'll let the pictures and their faces tell you what they thought!! I wish I had video of the actual hopping they did for about a half-hour during their visit. I wonder if I did any hopping in 1992.

Back in Time...

2007-03-27T15:35:00.000-04:00

Going back in time here a little to catch you up on what we've been doing all winter. The first picture is pretty accurate. The girls LOVE to snuggle up on the couch for "special movie night", something we try to do every once in a while. In an effort to cut back a little on TV in the last year or so, and taking into account the absolute love the girls have of watching a "good flick", i.e. Cinderella, Snow White, Mary Poppins, etc. this is something we enjoy doing as a family. Not to say that they don't watch TV, but since these are their favorites, it's worked well for us to make these special occasional nights, since they're SO LONG and usually involve some "editing" on our part, either by explaining something or skipping through inappropriate parts of movies....don't get me started on Peter Pan! :) Let me tell you, these girls can PLOW through a huge bowl of popcorn and is one of their favorite parts of movie night. But, a lot of times, this curling up on the couch time is just that. Just snuggling up together, which "Dosie" has become particularly fond of. She usually starts out with one request. "Up"? Which quickly escalates to "Up, UP, UuuuuPPPP!! SCREECH!!" :) Of course Christmas was wonderful this year. M and A really had an understanding of the season and the spirit that comes with it. This was the first year that I really saw them actually anticipating the next thing. Baking Christmas cookies, picking out the tree, decorating it and then waiting for Christmas Eve, etc. They ate more of the dough and flour than I anticipated! Yes, flour! They can't resist doing that, even though I really don't get it and try to convince them to wait for the reward at the end! It becomes a big joke, them sneaking handfuls everytime I turn around. They're learning giving and gratefulness, and I really enjoyed it with them this year. They ask more often than I have the energy for, to make something for someone! So, "Break -n- Bake" cookies have become a dear friend!! There was a Christmas play at preschool, which A had to miss playing the Innkeeper's wife due to being sick. M was an angel, and as you can see, she really played up her role!! :)

Our little firecracker.

2007-03-23T14:38:00.000-04:00

This is the perfect picture of our exuberant little "Dosie". She is quite the spirited one, who happens to be incredibly happy in this picture, but this face can mean a thousand different things. She is a joy to raise, but keeps us on our toes. I like to say her emotions range from 0 to 100, but nothing in between. The nice thing is....nothing lasts too long, not even the tantrums. I said to David the other day, "I'm finding it easier and easier to just walk away from her tantrums and ignore her until she quiets down." I heard, "Um-hmm. chuckle". I said, "What?" "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that's exactly how I deal with YOUR tantrums." Huh.

She's a sweet, sweet baby, though she is the LOUDEST child I've ever met. For those of you that know me, it is God's sense of humor to give me a loud child. I like to be "a quiet little mouse in a quiet little house"...and then came "R". Her favorite thing to do is.....whatever her sisters are doing. It's been amazing to watch how they have cared for her, loved her and been so incredibly patient with her. She already LOVES to dress-up!! She has a MAJOR thing for shoes and spends most of her days walking around asking to take them off, or put another pair on. She love, love, LOVES the dog and pays much more attention to her than the rest of us. I think Rigby secretly likes playing "choo-choo" with the baby holding onto her tail throughout the house. She, like the other two has ONE hero in her life and that's her Daddy. For a year she was all about mama, but she's growing into a different phase now. She's often at the back door calling for him, looking for him to come home. And OH, THE SQUEELS when he walks in the door!

2007-03-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

......AND KICK! Notice the nice pointed toes of the older girls on the right. "A" gets really excited for the kick part and almost falls over.

2007-03-23T14:30:00.000-04:00

"A" pays close attention.

2007-03-23T14:28:00.001-04:00

2007-03-23T14:28:00.000-04:00

"M" has got the "Step, step, step" part down

"We do the boogy-woogy, the boogy-woogy-woogy"

2007-03-23T13:49:00.000-04:00

This Fall "M" and "A" started a tap-dancing class. We found a wonderful connection through their preschool for a class taught by a lady on the side. She charges a very minimal fee and it's very low-key, as opposed to the usual high-priced, highly competitive dance classes. I really appreciate their teacher's approach. The focus is on learning to listen to music, learning coordination, following directions, all the while having FUN doing it! The girls really love their teacher, but she broke her foot this winter, setting up for class and we haven't been in months while she healed. We just started up again yesterday and we're SO EXCITED. It was actually a good break. I'm always trying to find that balance between encouraging the kids to do something they wouldn't first choose, encouraging them to stick with it even when they loose steam and yet allowing them to decide where their interests lie and allowing them time to be a kid. During this break, they have asked numerous times to go back to tap and were always wanting their tap shoes on. They were eager to go again yesterday, and I was excited to see that they remembered a lot of the "rules" of the class and many of the steps, their teachers name as well as their classmates. Here are a few pictures from yesterday.

Jumping on the blog wagon

2007-03-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

Well, I've done it. I think. I've been thinking about starting a family blog and I guess, here I am. I've finally jumped on the blog wagon. I like talking about my kids and family, and sometimes do it too much, so I'll log everything here and you can view and read at will. :) No new pictures as of yet....this is my problem....it takes me FOR.EV.ER. to do this kind of thing, so we'll see how it goes. This will be great. I really need one more thing to attempt to get done during everyone's "nap". This is probably a lot more fun than doing laundry or floors!! For now, we're waiting patiently and holding on for Spring. I notice such a change in the girls on the nice, warm days. They're so much like their mama in that way. One of them said to me on one warm day a couple weeks ago, "Mommy, I like to sit in the sun like a cat!" ME TOO! On these warm days, it's not uncommon for me to take house and home outside to sit like a cat in the sun on the backporch. Phone, cookbooks, paper and pen, iced tea, snacks for the girls, water bottles, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, books to read to them, magazines to look at for inspiration in gardening. Currently, our sprouted sunflowers are sitting in the window and both girls are SO EXCITED to see how they've grown. I'm one of those wanna-be gardeners, though. I'm hoping to do better this year....maybe biting off a little less than my usual more-than-I-can-chew portion of gardening dreams. Due to one LARGE birthday present for the girls last year, in the form of a giant house/fort/playset made out of wood, I have much less yard space in the backyard! Whew! Thank you, David. The girls love it and are always busy in their "house" and I don't feel so obligated to use it for gardening space. It was planted right where my little square 4'x4' foot garden was. *shrug* oh well. Hee-hee. I do LOVE a fresh tomato, though, so we'll see if I can find a little space for those. My problem right now is the front yard. My dream is to have my beds bursting with wildflowers in a joyous, haphazard, easy-to-care-for way. I love getting my hands dirty. I love digging in the earth and usually end up daydreaming more than working. Letting the dirt run through my fingers. Thinking. Not much gets done, but WOW plants and landscaping are so expensive. So, I go about doing it my own way. Buying a plant at Sam's here, some seeds at Walmart there. Not really much of a plan in mind..just whatever seems fun or I can afford that year. And, yes, it is haphazard to say the least. I wouldn't call it "joyous". In fact, I'm sure my plants absolutely despise me. I get them all excited and perky in the spring and then. slowly. screech. to. a. halt! That's what no watering in St. Louis will get you. The weeds don't seem to mind it. They seem sturdy and prolific. A few years ago we RIPPED out our zoisia (sp?) grass and reseeded since the grubs had eaten half the yard anyway. We've seen slight improvements over the last couple years, but the stubborn zoisia never seems to go away. I see it peeking through already. UGH. I have my work cut out for me this year, but I look forward to it every year, making new vows to strive for that "Better Homes and Garden" award. Mostly, I look forward to being out with my girls, soaking up some Vitamin D (with sunscreen, of course) and watching them explore and busy themselves with some made-up fairy princess scenario. M & A seem to be able to encorporate that story line into whatever they're doing. They have these long-stemmed, plush "flowers" (think....flower in the form of a stuffed animal) that someone gave us. The other day, they had their "flowers" out and were all dressed up "sweeping" the floor with their flowers. I asked what they were doing and "A" said, "We are fairies, mommy. We have to clean up the garden. " I wish my garden fairy would come along and do all this work for me. I will gladly sit and drink my tea and soak up the sun.